


Adam, Age 40 -- Trapped

by BettyHT



Series: Adam Through the Ages [9]
Category: Bonanza
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-08-05 16:13:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16370870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BettyHT/pseuds/BettyHT
Summary: --9th Adam Through The Ages story. An attempt on Adam's life is just one of many troubling events on the Ponderosa. Are they related, and who could be the mastermind behind them?





	Adam, Age 40 -- Trapped

Trapped (or Adam, Age 40)

Chapter 1

As he lay there, he couldn't help thinking that Dante had it all wrong. If there is a hell, it must be this: alone and trapped in the dark and unable to do anything to help himself. It wasn't cold either. It was hot and steamy with nothing to drink. So he wondered if he would he perish from thirst in a wet environment. How ludicrous and yet very real that sounded. It wasn't quiet either. Somehow he had thought being trapped in a mine would be quiet. That time when he had been trapped briefly with Philip, it had been relatively quiet until the men started digging them out. But this time there were sounds all around him constantly, and most of them were ominous. There were creaks and cracks as the remaining timbers struggled not to collapse. There were slight rumbling sounds as rock shifted. Adam tried to ignore the sounds and time passing. He might have been able to do it too except for the dust that fell occasionally as rocks above him moved slightly. He worried that no one might know where he was. Eliza had given him the note and had presumably read it because it was just a sheet of paper. However, she didn't seem to like him much so he wondered if she would bother telling anyone what had been in the note when he didn't return home in the evening. It had to be evening by the best guess that he could manage. His stomach had growled a number of times in what seemed to be hours ago. His bladder was full and making him very uncomfortable, but ironically he was extremely thirsty. Those last two facts argued for it being at least early evening.

Trying to keep his mind away from those dark thoughts, Adam evaluated his predicament. There was a large timber over his thighs. It couldn't be moved even a bit so Adam assumed there were rocks and other debris holding it in place. Whenever he tried to move his right foot, searing pain shot up his leg. He had to assume his lower leg was broken, sprained, or forced into an unusual position. He could hope that the break or injury was not too serious, but had no idea how bad it was. He had various bruises and abrasions but most were minor. He had known the explosion was coming and had tried to get away from it. Mostly he had succeeded. If he had continued in the direction he had been going, he would be buried under tons of rock. Someone had tossed a dynamite charge into the mine entrance before he could exit. He assumed they had meant to kill him. He had no idea why anyone wanted to do that but had plenty of time to think about it. He had a bump on the head and thought he was probably mildly concussed. It was difficult for him to keep thinking about any one thing. He moved from topic to topic. There were some pleasant memories that kept emerging. He smiled at each of those especially the birthday party they had given Abel when he turned four.

"Papa, Papa, Mama says I'm growing up too fast. How can I grow up too fast? I thought I was growing up just right."

"It means that time passes very quickly. It seems only a short time ago that you were a baby, and then you learned to walk and talk, and now you're learning to read. You used to sit in Mama's lap and hug her, and now you don't seem to like doing that."

"I like hugging Mama, but Joey saw me and said I was a baby."

"Joey probably hugs his mama too." Adam had held back the comment that sometimes Joey was a bit too much like his father as a youngster. "Well, could you hug your Mama when Joey isn't around? She misses it a lot."

"Could you tell me when it's a good time to hug Mama? You hug Mama a lot, and nobody says you're a baby."

"If they did, I would tell them that I love Mama, and I will kiss her and hug her because that's what a man does if he loves a woman."

"It's all right for a man to hug and kiss a woman?" Adam let him think for a short time. "So if I hug Mama and give her a kiss, that shows that I'm a man and not a baby?"

"Yes, it does. Men show affection to the women in their lives."

"So I can hug and kiss Emma too?"

"Of course. She's your sister, and you love her."

"Papa, I saw Doctor Paul kissing Molly. Does that mean he loves her too?"

"Yes, I think it does. We may have to get a new nanny."

"Why?"

"Well, Mama and I loved each other so we got married. If Doctor Paul and Molly love each other, then they may decide to get married."

"Will Doctor Paul live with Grandpa and Grandma then?"

"No, I would think they would live in Doctor Paul's house."

"I don't want them to."

"Son, you're four now. You have to realize that you can't make people do what you want them to. Everyone has to make decisions that are best for them."

"You know what decision I want to make? I want to go back to the party now. I'm gonna tell Joey that I can hug my Mama. If he tells me I'm a baby, I'm going to tell him I'm a man, and that's what men do."

"Yes, and we need you to blow out the candles on your cake. Your Uncle Hoss wants a big piece of cake, and he can't have any until you blow out the candles and cut the cake."

"Can I use a knife?"

"Mama and I will help you. You're still too young to use a knife by yourself. I do have a surprise for you though."

"What is it?"

"Now it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you. No, we'll have cake and then you get your surprise."

Abel had been delighted with his pony. With a small saddle Adam had purchased, he rode his pony in the corral or when one of the adults used a lead rope and went with him on a short ride. Lea was nervous every time, but Adam showed her a number of times how gentle the pony was and how capable Abel was at riding. He had taken to riding with all the skill his father and Uncle Joe had with horses. Joe was disappointed when his son didn't do well with riding because he was too uneasy around horses. He announced to everyone at his birthday party that he was going to be a doctor. They had laughed a little, but many of them knew that it might come true. Joe's boy had a natural affinity for all people and got upset when anyone else was upset. His teasing of Abel was the only exception, and that was probably because the two boys were so close in age and very different in many ways. Joe had asked Abel what he wanted to be when he grew up, and he had an answer that surprised no one.

"I want to be just like my Papa, and do a lot of things."

Abel liked dressing like his father, did his best to walk like his father, and already leaned against any solid object near him when he was stationary. Hoss called him Little Adam sometimes, but Abel would become very serious and ask if Hoss had forgotten that his name was Abel. As Adam remembered that, he chuckled a little.

The slight movement was all it took to reawaken the pain in his ribs and his movement in response to that caused a pain to shoot up from his leg. Mostly his legs felt numb, but any movement caused excruciating pain in his right leg. He didn't know why. He had seen that dynamite charge with the short fuse thrown into the mouth of the tunnel and had run rapidly away from it. In just seconds, it had exploded, and he had slammed up against a wall of the tunnel as rocks and some of the timbers fell. Luckily for him, most of the shoring held, but he wasn't sure how much longer it would manage to keep tons of rock from crashing down on him. He did know if that happened that he was probably not going to feel much pain before it was all over.

Lying on his side facing the wall with timbers pressing down on his thighs, he was trapped and vulnerable. He could do nothing to help himself. He listened for the sounds of anyone digging on the other side of the collapse and had even managed to get a rock in his right hand to use to pound to make noise if he ever heard anything. But he heard nothing, and finally after several more hours, he fell asleep due to exhaustion as much as anything else. He dreamed of his wife and his family calling is name. He awoke to the creaking and cracking about him and nothing else. No one was calling his name, and there were no sounds of digging. He didn't know if he had slept for minutes or hours. There really was no way for him to know. Only recently, his family had learned how painful it was to lose someone close. Molly was gone. He hoped they would not have to mourn him so soon as after the other loss. It was a lot for children as young as his to have to face. A few tears slid down his cheek as he thought of how he might miss his children growing up. Then he did his best to think more positively until sleep claimed him again.

Chapter 2

On the Ponderosa, Brock, one of the hands, rode into the yard of the Ponderosa leading Adam's horse, Sport. Joe was coming in from the breaking corrals to talk with Hoss and Ben so all three were there outside the house talking. Approaching the three, the hand pulled up.

"Mr. Cartwright, we found Adam's horse in the southeast pasture. It was just standing there, but there was this note attached to the saddle horn." Brock dismounted and walked up to the three men before handing the note over as Ben as he reached his side. After reading it, Ben's face reflected his inner turmoil.

"What is it, Pa?" Hoss stepped up to his father's side.

Joe walked up on the other side of Ben and took the note from his hand. Reading it quickly, Joe found his temper rising but quickly informed Hoss of the contents of the note. "It says that they have Adam. If we want him back alive, we have to get ten thousand dollars together and drop it at the chimney rock in the southeast pasture by sunset tomorrow. They'll pick it up there and then release Adam."

"They won't though, will they? Pa, what are we gonna do?" Hoss was suddenly very worried.

Joe was direct. "We can't pay or all of us especially the children will be at risk of anyone who wants to make a quick fortune."

Looking from one son to the other, Ben shook his head. "If I had to pay ten times this, I would. I would pay any amount I could to get one of my family home safely. Let's go inside and see what we can do about raising that money in one day. Hoss would you go get Lea. She needs to be part of this. Bring the children. Mo and Katherine can watch over them while we talk."

Inside the house, Joe greeted Eliza but made sure to keep it as innocuous as possible. He knew what his father thought about what had happened and didn't want to raise his ire. He was still certain nothing had happened on that fateful night five months earlier, but no one believed him especially with Eliza's belly beginning to swell. Now Alice lived in town with their two children whom he got to see on Sundays. She refused to come back to the house to live even when he volunteered to stay in the main house and let her stay with the two children in the house they had once shared. Ben could hardly stand the sight of the girl but couldn't turn her out in her condition. She made a good show of entertaining Dot at the dining table as she listened to the men talk. She listened even more intently when Lea arrived and was informed of what had happened.

"I can't believe this is happening. When do we ever get to have a year or two of peace? Molly, and then this. It's too much." Katherine and Mo had taken the children to the dining table for a snack. Even so, Abel looked over at his mother when he heard the distress in her voice.

"Mama, are you mad?"

Fighting to keep her voice as normal as possible, Lea did her best to reassure her son. "No, Abel, we just have some problems to talk over. You go ahead and eat your snack. Help your sister if she needs it."

Because Ben didn't want to upset the children especially Abel who seemed able to discern that something was very wrong, he nearly whispered as he continued the conversation. "What happened to Molly was an accident. This was done by some men, and we will find them and see that they are punished, but first we need to get Adam home safely. I'm going to town to get the money. It will be too late to come home with it tonight, so I'll be back in the morning. Candy and Griff will meet me in town in the morning to get the money back here. Hoss, can you let Candy and Griff know what's going on? It's alright if the other men hear. The more eyes we have watching for strangers, the better it will be."

"Papa Ben, why do you need Candy and Griff?"

"Lea, the kidnappers know that we don't have that kind of money here. They know I have to go to town to make arrangements to get the cash. They could waylay me on the road back, and then we wouldn't have the money as a bargaining chip to get Adam back."

"Do you think they'll let him go?"

"If we follow the instructions to the letter, we have to pray that they will. Now I need to get going if I want to talk to the people at the bank today. Hoss and Joe will be here with you if you need anything. If you want to spend the night here, you should. Perhaps you should regardless. If there are criminals about, then this might be the safest place to be."

"Yes, if I'm alone, I'll worry even more, and the children will notice. Perhaps Katherine and Mo can help me distract them and myself." Lea felt helpless in this situation.

"Do you want Eliza to help?" From her look, all three men knew that she didn't want Eliza anywhere near her children. They all nodded understanding how she felt. Lea turned and walked to the dining table with a smile on her face. Even though it was forced, it seemed to reassure her children that nothing bad had happened.

As Ben went to get his jacket and gunbelt, Hoss went to the stable to saddle his father's horse. He led Buck to the house just as Ben exited the house after telling Hop Sing everything that had happened. The cook was a very observant man and having him watch for anything unusual was often very helpful. When Ben left Hop Sing in the kitchen, the cook began to think about the many unhappy events that had occurred on the Ponderosa in recent months. Many things were not right, and it seemed always that one person was somehow tied into what happened. He had to wonder at so many coincidences. It was not his place to suggest anything, but if ever asked, he wanted to have a well thought out reply. As he continued to prepare dinner, he was more and more certain that there was a conspiracy that tied all the events together. He knew it might sound preposterous because even in his mind, it was difficult to accept that it could be true. He planned to think it through more.

Outside as Hoss handed over the reins to his father, he told him that he would talk with Candy and Griff as well as ask the men if they had seen anything unusual. Ben had no more ideas so he headed off to town as Hoss walked to the bunkhouse. Men were beginning to return to the bunkhouse from their duties all around the Ponderosa. Hoss called Candy and Griff over and began to brief them on what happened. Hoss was surprised that Brock wasn't in the bunkhouse.

"Hey, who was working with Brock today when he found Adam's horse and the ransom note from the kidnappers?"

There was quite a bit of consternation as the men looked at each other and thought about what they should say. Finally one of the men stepped forward. "Hoss, he was sposed to be a working with us today cleaning brush out from the ravines where they tend to bunch up in the lower pastures. He said he had an errand to run for the ranch. We never saw him again till a little bit ago when he was in here. He said his errand took the rest of the day until he found Adam's horse. None of us have any idea what he was doing until he found that horse."

Hoss didn't know how to respond to that at first. With the division of responsibilities on the ranch, it could have been Adam, Joe, or his father who had sent Brock on an errand to deliver a message or pick up some supplies. So finally that's what he said to the men before asking them to send Brock to the main house once he got back into the bunkhouse. Then he finished telling Candy and Griff what was going on and what was expected of them the next day. Of course, all the other men listened. Before Hoss left the bunkhouse, the men unanimously said they would be watching for anything unusual and that Hoss could call on any one of them to help out. Thanking them, Hoss headed back to the main house intent on asking Joe if he knew what errand Brock had been on that day.

While Hoss was busy with his tasks, Joe had volunteered to go get some things from the house for Lea and the children. On the way back, he noticed Eliza slipping out the back door. Quickly stepping behind a tree, he watched her as she furtively made her way to the back of the bunkhouse. He wondered what she could possibly be doing. Moving stealthily so that she wouldn't see him, Joe got to the kitchen door and slipped inside. He went to the main room and called Hoss into the kitchen. He put his finger over his lips to indicate that Hoss should be quiet. When Hoss got near, Joe pointed out the window to the area behind the bunkhouse. There in the shadows behind the bunkhouse, Eliza stood whispering with Brock. Joe and Hoss couldn't hear what was being said, but if they had, they would have been able to solve a lot of mysteries.

Chapter 3

"They're gonna plan something, I know they will." Brock was noticeably sweating even though the air had a bit of a chill in it.

"Don't worry. They think their precious Adam is still alive. They'll do just what the note says to do. The old man wants his favorite son back."

"But, Eliza, what are they gonna do when they find out he's dead?"

"How are they ever going to know that? If you did what I told you to do, he's buried under a couple of tons of rock. Now no one will ever want to work that claim."

"How did you know about that anyway?"

"I heard Adam and that Mr. Waite talking about it. Mr. Waite said he thought there might be a richer vein of gold in there than what they had already mined. He wanted Adam to take a look to see if it would be profitable to open that mine up again and tunnel deeper. So I wrote the note like a man would and asked Adam to meet him in the mine."

"Yeah, and I put that horse there and started up that lantern inside just like you said to do. That way he figured Waite was in the mine and walked in after him. After I tossed the dynamite in, I waited to make sure there was nobody walking out of that mine. Then I took that horse back to the livery just like you said. Once I did that, I brought his horse home and told em I found that note on it."

"Good, now all you have to do is go collect that money tomorrow and then ride on out of here if you want."

"Won't that make them think it was me that done it?"

"Probably, but you sitting in the bunkhouse looking all nervous isn't going to be any good either. With ten thousand, you can change your name and live comfortably for the rest of your life. No one will care where you got the money."

"You don't want none of it?"

"No, I'll have plenty when I become Mrs. Joe Cartwright. With Adam out of the way, Joe will take his rightful place helping the run this ranch until his father dies, and that could be sooner than later."

"What about Hoss? I kinda like him too."

"He'll do what Joe tells him to do. He always seems to."

"What about Joe's wife and kids?"

"She left him and took the kids. She'll want to keep the children because that's how she'll keep getting Cartwright money. I'll make sure that Joe never goes back to her."

"All right then. Tomorrow night I'll go get the money. It'll be the last you see of me. Best wishes on your future marriage."

"Thank you, and now I need to get back. They'll be wanting me to help with the brats. If I could, I'd find a way to get rid of all of them. At least with Adam dead, that bitch Lea will probably go back east and live with her family."

"She seems kinda nice. Why did you call her that?"

"She doesn't like me. Adam didn't like me either, and even that brat of theirs, that Abel, doesn't like me even though I never did anything against any of them."

"You did mess up Joe's marriage. Maybe that's why."

"Well, it doesn't matter any more. Now I do need to get back."

From the kitchen, Hoss and Joe watched the two talk wishing they could hear what was being said. Hop Sing finally asked them what they were doing.

"Joe saw that Eliza talking with Brock. He's the one brung Adam's horse home and gave that note to Pa."

"She give Mister Adam note today. I see her. Then Mister Adam leave."

"Joe, there's something really fishy here. I just asked in the bunkhouse who was with Brock when he found Adam's horse. Nobody was with him, but he told us that 'we' found the horse and the note."

"Hoss, can you backtrack and see where Brock was when he found that horse? I'm beginning to think it wasn't in the southeast pasture."

Almost before Hoss could answer, Hop Sing pressed a bag of food and a full canteen into his hands. "You go find Mister Adam. We must ride the evil tigress to find her den."

"Who is the evil tigress, Hop Sing?"

"You know, Mister Joe. She cause the death of your heart, but it may regain its life if she is banished."

"You think Eliza is behind this."

"She has done evil. She will not stop. She must be stopped."

Nodding, Joe looked at Hoss. "I'll keep her occupied so she doesn't notice you're gone. When you go outside, have Candy and Griff watch Brock. If she's in on it, then so is he. Shorty and Hank could be good ones to alert as well. Candy and Griff can tell it all to Pa when they meet him in town tomorrow."

When Hoss went outside, he met Brock as the man headed back into the bunkhouse. Hoss said the family wanted to thank him for finding the horse and bringing the note back. Brock told him it wasn't a big deal and he had only done what anyone would have done. Hoss smiled and moved on but noted how nervous Brock seemed when he was talking with him.

In the collapsed mine tunnel, sadness nearly overwhelmed Adam as he lay in the darkness. He had fallen asleep several times and awakened finally with no idea what time it was or how long he had been trapped. He knew that Eliza didn't like him. She had shot those dagger looks at him on numerous occasions especially when he was teasing Joe or having a dispute with him. He wondered just how infatuated she was with Joe. The episode that had sent Alice and the children to town possibly causing irreparable harm to Joe's marriage still rankled. Adam had to believe Joe when he said nothing happened, and yet Eliza was clearly carrying a child. Someone had taken her at about the time she claimed that Joe had done just that. Joe had said he came home after having too much to drink and fell into bed.

"Adam, you know how I am when I have too much to drink. Cochise found our way home, and I barely managed to get his saddle off. I can't do much of anything when I've had too much. All I remember is going up to my bed and collapsing. The next thing I know is that Pa is standing in my doorway after yelling my name and waking me up. I was naked and next to me in bed was Eliza naked as she could be. Now you know I would never take off my clothes when I've had too much to drink. I've even forgotten to take off my boots on a few occasions. I tell you, Adam, that girl set me up somehow."

"Why, Joe?"

"Hell, Adam, if I knew that, I'd know what to do about it."

Then Adam had volunteered information that Joe didn't find surprising. "I don't like her. There's something about her that is just off, and she makes Abel and Emma nervous. Neither one of them want to be around her. We can't use her as a nanny because Lea and I don't trust her, and the children don't like her. Ever since Molly flipped the carriage over on the way to town to see Paul, we've had to readjust our schedule quite a bit."

Recalling that conversation, Adam began to wonder about Molly's accident. The carriage had been a shambles. Molly had been lucky to survive the accident, but it was unclear whether she would ever walk again. She had spent a month as Paul's patient and then had been moved to Clementine Hawkins' boarding house. Clemmie fussed over her as if she was her daughter, and Paul visited her daily. Adam and Lea had stopped by often to visit. Molly had a great attitude, but she was sad too for her and Paul had been making plans to marry when the accident nearly claimed her life.

It had been only a few weeks before that accident when Eliza had arrived on the Ponderosa. Her brother had brought her when he took a job with them. He had needed a place for her to stay, and Ben had allowed her to use a guest room. Her brother was killed in a freak accident with the branding of calves and yearlings. One kicked him, and no one knew until the next day that he had started bleeding internally. After that, they had felt responsible for Eliza's care, and when Molly was hurt, Eliza volunteered to take over her duties. It had seemed a logical step, but Adam had a lot of time to think. Eliza was very knowledgeable about horses, carriages, and the road to Virginia City. Adam wondered if she could have had anything to do with Molly's accident. Again the question of why interceded but Adam was getting a faint idea of what might tie everything together. Even the attempt on his life could make sense if his hypothesis was correct.

Then he chuckled a bit. Joe had been a ladies man like no other until he met Alice. Something had changed in his youngest brother when he had married her. Oh there were still a few nights out drinking and gambling with the hands, but far less often and usually far less drinking was involved unless he and Alice had a fight. Their marriage was certainly more volatile than those of the other Cartwright men, but then so was Joe. He was usually laughing, crying, or fighting when he wasn't sleeping or working. But he was still an object of female attention although he paid little attention to it any more. Adam had to wonder if Joe had been so attractive to Eliza that she had resolved to get him for herself.

As Adam lay there helpless and hurting he knew that nothing he thought made any difference at all unless a miracle occurred, and someone could pull him from this death trap. Chuckling was all it took to send sharp pains radiating up and down his leg. It only took the slightest movement to cause him near agony. He resolved not to physically chuckle or groan or make any other kind of noise except in response to someone banging on those rocks out there to find out if anyone was inside this tunnel.

Hoss was doing just what he needed to do to get to that miracle for which Adam was praying. He had tracked Brock's trail and found as Joe suspected that he didn't find Sport in the southeast pasture. The trail headed directly southeast and away from the Ponderosa. Dusk was descending when Hoss lost the trail. He noted the landmarks of the last place he had seen Sport's trail, and then he rode back to the Ponderosa to report what he had found. Joe wasn't as surprised as Hoss thought he possibly would be. Joe had a few things to report too.

Chapter 4

"She asked me tonight if I was going to divorce Alice for deserting me. She said she would never desert a man like me no matter what I did." Joe had gone out to the stable when he heard Hoss ride in.

"What? That's crazy. She's not hardly old enough to be talking to a man like that. Course maybe she is if she's in on what we think she's in on." Hoss had almost confused himself with that one, but quickly got back to what he had been doing. "You were right. Brock didn't find that horse in the southeast pasture. He wasn't even on the Ponderosa when he found Sport. I lost the track in some rocks and it was starting to get too dark to see, but I was already at least a mile off the Ponderosa. As soon as it gets light tomorrow, I'm going back to see what I can find."

"Take a couple of the men with you. They've got to have some men guarding Adam. If you get close, there could be some shooting. Hank's got an idea about the drop off point too. He thinks he can hide two men near there and no one could see them."

"How's he gonna do that?"

"He learned it from some Indians when he was in the Army. They dig holes and then cover them up with brush and stuff. They can see what's going on around them, but nobody can see them. It just looks like bushes. They're going out at first light to do it. Hop Sing is sending some food with them, and they'll each have canteens too. Then Hank will bring the horses a long way from there so nobody will suspect a thing. Candy and Griff are riding out to town at first light too. There'll be enough activity that if anyone is watching, they won't know who to follow. Some of the men are going back to the brush clearing they started yesterday, but they'll be ready to ride if they hear the signal."

"You've been busy."

"So were you. We all have to do something. Lea is kind of a wreck though. She's trying to hold it together so the kids don't get worried, but she's having some trouble with that. Abel knows something is wrong. He's been asking where his papa is, and we don't have a good answer. For now, we're telling him that Adam is on a short business trip, but he's not buying that entirely because Adam always tells him when he's going to be gone overnight."

"I'll talk to him. Maybe I can help."

When Hoss got in the house, he saw what Joe had meant. Lea looked like she might break out in sobs at any moment. She was holding it together, but it wasn't easy for her. His first inclination was to go give her a hug, but as he took a step toward her, both Mo and Katherine shook their heads just a little. Hoss instead went to Abel. Hey, I got a message to give you from your Papa. He said he had to go on a short business trip, and he didn't want you to worry. I'm trying to remember exactly what it was he said you had to do." Hoss scratched his head as if he was trying to remember.

"Did he tell you that I'm the man of the house while he's gone, and that I'm supposed to take good care of Mama and Emma?"

"That's it. That's what he said. I had so much to do today, I plumb forgot what he said. I'm shur glad you got a memory as good as your Papa. I don't know what we'd do without the two of you around here." Lea turned and hurried to the kitchen. Hoss called after her to cover her retreat. "Oh, yeah, I am hungry. Thanks for going to remind Hop Sing that I'm ready for my dinner now."

"I didn't hear Mama say anything."

"She didn't. She signed it to me."

"Signed?"

"You know, cause we was talking, she just done this and I nodded yes." Hoss mimed putting food in his mouth and smiling afterwards. "I knew right away what she meant."

Soon Hop Sing came out with a plate of food for Hoss and set it on the table. After Hoss sat down, Lea brought out a coffee cup and pot. She poured for Hoss, and then she lightly squeezed his shoulder to thank him. She knew what he had been out doing because Joe had told her everything they suspected. She returned to the kitchen without saying anything more. Eliza excused herself for the evening saying she was going to read in her room before retiring for the night. Mo went upstairs with Dottie just to be sure that she wasn't eavesdropping. Then when Lea and Katherine sat at the dining table, Hoss filled them in on what he had found. Joe kept Abel occupied with toy soldiers on the table in front of the fireplace. Emma sat on her mother's lap completely oblivious to what was going on around her as she was very tired. After Hoss explained all that would happen the next day, Lea excused herself to go put Emma to bed. Then she came downstairs and asked Abel if he wanted to sleep in a trundle bed in the room she and Emma were using or sleep in a room by himself. He chose the trundle bed. After the two of them went upstairs, Katherine turned to Joe and Hoss.

"Abel knows something is wrong. He's sensed it, but Hoss, you reassured him that it isn't his father. Just keep doing what you're doing, and he should be fine. Lea is right on the edge emotionally though. She's holding it all in for the sake of the children, but it's difficult for her. So, no hugs or even pats on the shoulder unless she initiates it. Anything emotional just adds to her burden."

The next morning, Eliza tried to keep tabs on what was happening but just as Joe and Hoss had planned it, there was too much activity for her to know what was going on. She tried to find reasons to go outside and try to talk to Brock, but Mo and Katherine kept her busy with tasks so she wouldn't be able to do that. Katherine and Mo each had a pocket pistol in their apron pockets. Lea was to keep the children out of harm's way if anything happened, and Katherine and Mo would try to watch Eliza to find out what she would do. Hop Sing was there to help in any way he was needed. Joe rode out with Candy and Griff to brief them on everything they had found out so that they could tell Ben. Candy suggested it was time to tell Roy as well, and Joe agreed but said to leave that up to Ben to decide. Two men were in the pasture near the chimney rock digging holes to hide in for the rest of the day. Their horses were brought over to another pasture when they were done digging and pulled brush over their hiding places.

Meanwhile, Hoss was back at following the trail Brock had left the day before. With full daylight, he was able to find slight scrapes across the rocky trail. The tracking was slow and steady. Two hands were with him in case he ran into trouble. At this point, Hoss and Joe had figured out some of the plan but still had no idea who was the mastermind of the plot. They thought that Brock and Eliza were working with the kidnappers instead of the actual conspiracy that Eliza had created. Hoss began to suspect that Adam was being held in a mine as they moved closer to an abandoned mining claim. When they finally rode up to it, there was no one there, but there were the tracks of the horses Hoss had been following. He found several sets of boot prints. Two went into the mine but only one came out. Another set of prints went up to the mine entrance, halted, and then retreated in a big hurry. Soon Hoss had a timeline of what had happened. One man rode in and went into the mine and back out before heading up behind some rocks. Another man rode in and went into the mine but did not exit. By the hoofprints and bootprints, Hoss was almost positive that was Adam. Finally that third set of prints had gone up to the mine and then away before taking the horses and leaving. That had to have been Brock. Then Hoss created a makeshift torch and stepped into the mine. His heart felt like it had stopped when he went in only about twenty feet. The tunnel was collapsed. If Adam had gone in, then he was behind that rock pile. Hoss had to think that because he couldn't believe he was under it.

Walking back out, Hoss called to the two men who were keeping watch. "No need for that. There's no one else here, except I think my brother Adam is in that tunnel." Hoss carefully explained all that he had found out. He sent one man to intercept his father and tell him, and he sent the other to tell Joe. He wanted both men to be sure that no one other than those two knew, but asked that both bring men and tools to the mine. They needed to start digging through that pile of rocks as quickly as they could. After those two men left, Hoss grabbed his gloves from his saddlebag and headed into the tunnel. He would start and hopefully have a bunch of rocks moved before anyone else got there. First though, he took a rock and pounded three times on a big boulder in the midst of the fallen rubble. Then he pounded three more times, and then three more. He was worried when there was no response, but he couldn't let himself believe that there was no hope. He began moving rocks away from the fall area.

Inside the mine, Adam woke slowly. He had been sleeping more and more. He assumed the lack of water was the primary cause of his tiredness. He felt lightheaded and weak. He thought for a moment that he had been awakened by someone pounding on the rocks from the tunnel collapse. He gripped the rock he had by his hand and listened intently for more pounding. He didn't hear any. There were just those sounds he had been hearing all along of rocks shifting and timbers creaking. He closed his eyes and fell asleep again. In his dehydrated state, he didn't realize that the air wasn't sufficient either. A short time later, he was awakened again by what he thought was pounding. He listened but heard no more. He decided to try pounding himself. Almost too weak to lift the rock, by sheer force of will, he hit the rock wall three times as hard as he could. Then before there was an answering set, he fell asleep again.

On the other side of the rock fall, Hoss thought he heard an answering set of knocks. He tried again and then again but there were no more. Instead, he renewed his efforts to move some of the rock. He began working his way to the top of the pile hoping that there might be an opening to one side or the other that he could expand. Soon he found just that on one side. He began throwing rocks behind him as he worked to enlarge that tiny opening. After two hours, Joe arrived with some men, shovels, and pick axes. They started removing the debris that Hoss had thrown down behind him, and then the men told Hoss to take a breather, and they began moving rocks. Hoss walked over to Joe and the two brothers were standing together there when their father rode up.

"Is it true? You think Adam is in there?"

Nodding, Hoss once again explained what he had found and why he thought it Adam was in that tunnel. "Pa, there's somebody in there based on the footprints. With all that's happened, and because I followed Brock's trail right here, it has to be Adam. It just has to be. I thought I heard someone pounding on the rocks on the other side once, but I couldn't get him to repeat it. I think we gotta hurry and get through that pile of rocks as fast as we can."

Chapter 5

The next time Adam woke up, he thought that the tunnel was ready to collapse on him again. He heard lots of rocks moving and banging. He was too groggy to make sense of it and fell asleep once more. At the top of the pile, Hoss was using a pike to push small rocks and debris away to try to see if the opening at the top of the collapse went through to the tunnel beyond that point. He couldn't see well enough to know but the pike wasn't meeting any more resistance. Two men came to the top with small hoes to use to pull more material from the opening they had expanded. When it was larger, Joe climbed up and pronounced that it was big enough for him to try getting through. He stripped off his gunbelt and extra clothing. Hoss tied a rope around one of his ankles and Ben handed him a small head lamp. Joe began to slide into the space. Soon he was yelling that he was almost through but needed to move some rock and debris to get through to the other side. Ben, Hoss, and the hands who were helping stood silently and motionless almost holding their breath waiting for the next thing Joe would tell them. Suddenly the rope went slack and Ben paled until he realized that meant Joe had gotten to the other side of the rockfall. When Joe yelled next, they were all invigorated and attacked the task of removing the rocks and debris with enthusiasm. Joe had found Adam and he was alive. He needed help though so the opening had to be enlarged. Ben sent Griff to get a wagon.

"Bring the extra bedrolls that are in the stable, lanterns and a can of kerosene, and bring some water and tools. Ask Hop Sing for the medical bag to bring along. Do not tell Eliza what's happening, but if Katherine or Mo come out to ask you anything, tell them what's going on."

Griff felt proud that Ben trusted him like one of the family. He vowed to himself to get there and back as quickly as he could. "Mr. Cartwright, I'll do it just right, and I'll be back here as fast as I can."

Candy walked up to Ben then. "He's a good kid. I got a question for you though. What are we going to do about the ransom drop? We won't catch who's behind this unless we get the one who comes for the ransom money." Ben hadn't even thought about the ransom once he heard from Hoss that he was sure Adam was in that tunnel which was now confirmed by Joe. He admitted as much to Candy. "If you don't mind, I'll take your saddlebags and stuff them with an old shirt. I'll put some of the money on top in case he opens it up. Then we'll follow him and find out where he goes." Ben nodded.

It was a good plan, and Candy soon left as Ben walked back to see the progress being made in the tunnel. Hoss was tossing rocks so fast and furiously that it was dangerous to be behind him. Ben called out to him to get him to stop. "We won't do Adam any good if you hurt the other men who are clearing this rockfall. Now, work together with them, and we'll get Adam out of there."

"Sorry, Pa. I just feel like we gotta move fast."

"Yes, we need to move fast, but let's do it safely. Is there room for another man to go through?"

"Soon. We've expanded most of it but we need to get more out at the other end."

"Send the smallest man through with some tools to work from that end. It will go a lot faster than trying to pull it all from this side. Any more word from Joe?"

"He said Adam's trapped under a big beam. He thinks that maybe we can lift if off him when we get more men inside. Adam's alive but pretty groggy. We pushed in a canteen so Joe could give him some water. He says Adam is drinking."

"Not too much too soon, I hope."

"Pa, Joe knows what he's doing. He won't let Adam get sick especially not now that we found him."

"Well let me up there, and one of you men take a break."

Ben climbed up to work beside Hoss as the men behind them began taking rocks and debris out of the tunnel entrance and making a large pile there. Finally there was enough room for another man to go through the tunnel, and Ben insisted it be him. It was a tight squeeze for the large man, but nothing was going to keep Ben from his son's side. There was limited light with only one small headlamp until Griff got back, but it was enough. Ben could see Adam and Joe close together against the wall. He moved carefully over to them. Adam couldn't see either of them very well because of how he was pinned, but Joe had a hand on his side and Ben put a hand on his shoulder. Adam almost allowed himself to cry with those touches.

"Adam, son, are you hurt?"

Still a bit groggy but recovering with the water and the fresh air, Adam said his leg hurt. Joe had more information. "I can't see his leg because there's too much on top of it, but I was able to reach in. It's wet but not too wet." Joe held up his hand to show Ben that he had blood on his fingers. "As soon as I touched his leg, he was in agony. I think he's got a piece of wood stuck in his leg. We'll know more when the others get in here and we get this timber off of him. Now that you're here to sit with him, I'm going to start opening up the top section there from this side."

"Be careful not to move too much. As I was coming through, I thought I could feel some of the rock shifting. It just has to be a big enough opening for Hoss and the others."

"If it's big enough for Hoss, it will be big enough for anyone."

Chuckling at Joe's statement, Adam grimaced and let a groan escape him. As usual, any movement caused excruciating pain in his leg.

"Joe, tell one of the men out there to ride for the doctor. Adam is going to need some attention for that leg as soon as possible."

Within a half hour, Hoss and two other men were in the tunnel next to Adam. They grabbed hold of the timber and were going to move it except Adam screamed in agony when they started. Stopping immediately, they looked at each other wondering what had happened. Griff yelled out then from the other side of the rock fall that he was back and asked them what they needed. Ben said lanterns, and soon Griff had three of those and got them through to the men on the other side. Ben said to bring a blanket and the medical bag next, and Griff's head disappeared from view. Once the three lanterns were lit, everyone could see the problem. A large splinter from the timber had penetrated Adam's calf. Any movement of the timber twisted that causing agonizing mind-numbing pain to Adam.

"Pa, I need a small saw. Ask Griff if he brought anything like that." Joe said he would go to get one or find something they could use to cut that splinter from the timber. Soon Joe was back with several small hand tools, which Hoss began to use to cut through the wood. Adam grimaced and then began to shake and moan with the pain from the large splinter being manipulated. Ben kept his hand on Adam's shoulder squeezing tightly as he whispered encouragement to his oldest son. Hoss was apologetic, but Ben told him he had to keep going. Soon Adam got some relief as the splinter was separated from the timber, which the men soon were able to pull away. Hoss pulled a knife from the set of tools Joe had brought and slit Adam's pant leg all the way down on both legs so the pants could be removed. The pants were soiled and badly ripped anyway. With the pants out of the way, the men could see the splinter protruding. Hoss suggested they leave it in until the doctor got there.

"It ain't bleeding much, but as soon as we pull it out, it likely is gonna bleed a lot. Best to do that when Doc is here. He should be here soon. It's only a half hour from town to here." Hoss wrapped a thick bandage around the wounded leg before the men lifted Adam onto a blanket and wrapped it around him. "This is gonna be the roughest part, Adam. We gotta get you outta here, and that space up there ain't big enough for a stretcher. You want something to bite down on?" With that, Adam knew that Hoss was giving him fair warning that the next part was going to be extremely painful for him. He nodded and Hoss gave him a thick pad of bandage to bite down on. Then the men lifted him and carried him to the rock pile. Joe and another man went to the top to position Adam in the opening. One of the hands went first and then Ben went through the opening to the outside. Joe went next, and as the others lifted Adam into the opening, Joe used his grasp on the blanket to pull him through. On the other side, Ben and the hand were ready to help Joe carry Adam out of the tunnel. They laid him next to the wagon noting that he was grimacing in pain. After clearing the wagon, Ben spread the extra bedrolls on the bottom. When Hoss got there, the men lifted Adam onto the wagon bed. He let out a deep sigh when he realized he would be subjected to no more pain at least for the moment. That only lasted a few minutes until Doctor Martin arrived. He was relieved that he wouldn't have to go into the mine tunnel to treat his patient but had a worried look as he checked Adam's leg.

"I would rather take care of this at the ranch, but it's festering already. I need to pull that splinter and clean out the wound. He's going to bleed quite a bit when I do this. I need some help. A bucket of water, a blanket folded up, and two men at least to hold him down and another to manage the tourniquet."

Ben moved to the front of the wagon to hold Adam's upper body because he could use his body to hold down his son's if necessary. Hoss kneeled on the end of the wagon to hold Adam's legs. In order to take care of the tourniquet, Joe stood on an old wooden crate and got into position at the side of the wagon. When Paul thought everything was as ready as he could make it, he had Hoss lift Adam's injured leg. That alone caused Adam to cry out. Everyone knew it was going to get worse. With the blanket pad under the leg, Paul moved to the splinter and got a good hold on it. He wanted to remove it as fast as he safely could because that would be the worst of the experience for Adam.

"Ready?"

All the men nodded, and Adam bit down on the wad of cloth in his mouth as he closed his eyes. He had heard everything and knew he was in for a rough time. His heart rate increased and his stomach roiled, but nothing could prepare him for the searing pain that shot up and down his leg as Paul pulled the ten-inch splinter out. Every man there hoped never to have to help in such an endeavor again. Adam had tensed every muscle in his body, arched his back and hips as far as his father allowed him, and couldn't stop the groans of agony. When Paul began to wash out the wound and then pick out debris, tears welled out of Adam's eyes even though they were closed. Ben's eyes were glistening as well and Joe and Hoss shed tears without shame. Once the wound was cleaned out, Paul packed a large wad of cloth against it and held it against the wound as hard as he could. He told Joe to release the tourniquet but not to remove it. Blood soon soaked through the cloth, and Paul picked up another wad and pressed it to the wound. The bleeding slowed but didn't stop. Paul used a third wad and that slowed the bleeding to a slow trickle so he had Joe remove the tourniquet.

"That is by far the worst of it. I'm going to hold this in place until we get to the house. The sooner you can accomplish that the better, but not so fast as to jostle the patient."

"It's pretty rough country until we get to our pastures. No matter what we do, the first part of the ride is gonna be kinda rough."

"Just do your best, Hoss."

As the wagon pulled out with Hoss driving and Ben and Paul sitting in the back with Adam, Joe climbed into the doctor's carriage to follow. The hands gathered up the horses and tools and followed. Hoss and Joe drove around the main house and directly to Adam's home. The hands went to the stable with the horses and then put the tools back into storage. In the house, Katherine and Mo heard the commotion, and Katherine went to the stable to find out what was happening. She was back in the house in just a short time.

"They found Adam. They hauled him back to his house. I'm going over there because Lea will be a wreck, and they'll need help with the children and with her."

Eliza stood wide-eyed as she listened. She couldn't believe that they had found Adam's body already. Her plans were unraveling, and she began to think about how she could salvage something from all of this. Then she calmed as she realized that Adam couldn't tell them anything, but Brock could especially as he would not be getting the money that evening. Mo and Katherine shared a look as they surreptitiously watched Eliza's reaction.

Katherine whispered to Mo just before she left. "He's alive. The doctor's with him. Watch her. Tell Hop Sing too." Mo nodded and Katherine headed over to Adam's house. When Mo went into the kitchen to tell Hop Sing the good news, Eliza slipped out of the house and headed to the stable.

Chapter 6

It was already late afternoon, and Brock was in position to wait for the ransom delivery. When he saw Candy ride up and drop off saddlebags, he was a bit concerned that it wasn't one of the Cartwrights. He did know that they treated Candy like one of the family so he let that reassure him. That and the greed made him go for the saddlebags right away instead of waiting as Eliza had told him to do. She said if they were planning anything, he would see movement around that spot if he would just stay concealed in the spot she had picked for him. As soon as Brock picked up the saddlebags, the men in the hiding spots seemed to step up out of nowhere with guns drawn as Roy had told them to do because he didn't want to risk losing Brock in the diminishing light of the late afternoon. Brock was shocked but dropped his pistol as ordered. Roy was soon summoned from where he waited.

"Now, Brock, you picking up that ransom payment is proof enough that you're in on this plot against Adam. You tell us who's been giving you the orders, and things could go a might easier on ya."

Certain that Eliza was far more dangerous than any of the men confronting him, Brock chose not to answer that question. Instead he proclaimed his innocence. "I was just riding along and spotted this here set of saddlebags leaning up against that rock. Now I seen the Ponderosa mark on em so I was gonna just bring em back to the house. Figured somebody done lost em."

"Brock, you were followed when you left the bunkhouse. We know you were waiting here when Candy delivered the saddlebags, and we know you went out to get em as soon as Candy left. You want ta try again with a story and maybe tell the truth this time?" Roy was frustrated at Brock's shake of the head and silence. "Boy, you could get twenty years hard labor for this. If Adam dies, you could hang." That shook Brock up considerably as he wondered if they knew where Adam was. His shock grew when Roy correctly read his expression and informed him that Adam had been rescued and was being cared for by the doctor at that moment. Brock still refused to say anything but was as scared as he had ever been in his life. Roy thought perhaps the bars on a cell might loosen his tongue. "Take him to town, boys, and lock him up. I'm gonna go see how Adam is doing and find out what else he can tell me."

Up on a ridge shielded by pine trees, Eliza watched. She couldn't hear everything but enough to know that Brock had become a major liability to her. She had a pistol in her pocket and was going to go see that it was put to good use. Riding in a roundabout way so as not to be seen, she headed to Virginia City. She would arrive long after Brock was locked up, but that suited her purposes just fine. He was the father of her unborn child but didn't know it. She had led him to believe that Joe had impregnated her. Brock was so easily led that she didn't have any respect for him, and now that he had outlived his usefulness to her, he was completely expendable in her master plan. In fact, she now saw him as a liability. When she arrived in town, she tied up her horse and walked several blocks to the jail but without using the main street where many could see her. She walked through alleys and little used narrow streets until she reached the jail. There she went to the windows in back and softly called Brock's name until his head appeared in a barred opening.

"Brock, I brought you a gun. Please use it to get away. I can't bear the thought of any harm coming to you. Get out and meet me at the usual spot tonight. I'll be waiting for you, sweetheart."

"I thought Joe was your sweetheart?"

"I thought he was too, until I saw you being taken away. Then I knew that you are my true love. Come to me, and we'll leave this wretched place behind us."

Invigorated by her words, Brock nodded and watched wistfully as Eliza slipped away. He would do anything for her, and now after her declaration of love, he would risk anything. He called to the deputy that he needed some water. As soon as the deputy came into the cellblock, Brock pulled his pistol on him and ordered him to unlock the cell. The deputy did so, and then Brock ordered him into the cell. He took the deputy's pistol, and locked the cell door. After moving to the outer office finding it empty, he headed out the front door. Several men saw him, and the alarm was yelled out that a prisoner was escaping. One man drew his pistol, and Brock fired at him. That was all it took. A number of men pulled pistols to fire. Multiple gunshots hit Brock who spun and fell to the ground dead before he had a chance to fire a second shot. Several streets away, Eliza heard the gunfire and its rapid conclusion. She smiled and walked at an even pace to her horse before riding out of town.

"Wonder what that witch is up to?" Molly had never liked Eliza. She shared that same impression that Adam, Lea, and Abel had that there was something fundamentally wrong with the young woman.

"I wouldn't be surprised if that gunfire had something to do with whatever she is up to now." Alice pulled a watch from her pocket and checked the time. She thought she might need to know that in the future.

Because Paul had been called out of town, Alice had come over to visit with Molly and help her with her exercises. Afterwards, the two had sat in the backyard of Clementine Hawkins' boarding house and visited as the children played. Clementine had come out with tea and biscuits, and the three ladies had been discussing Eliza before they even saw her walk by the first time. When she came walking back with a smile on her face oblivious of her audience behind the fence and flowers that surrounded the backyard, they began to speculate more and more on what role this girl was playing in the problems they had.

On the Ponderosa, Roy had arrived and waited with Hoss and Joe as Lea and Ben helped Paul care for Adam. Every now and then, they heard Adam cry out and knew the pain he must be suffering. They had to clean him up, and Paul had to stitch the wound in his leg. Adam always refused laudanum so he had to bear the pain. Finally, Paul appeared at the top of the stairs.

"He's resting now. He's got a terrible headache but rest and fluids should take care of that. I have his leg elevated and it needs to stay that way for a few days. Hoss, can you rig something over the leg so the blankets are kept from direct contact? His leg is very sensitive right now."

Hearing Paul's voice, Katherine came from the kitchen carrying Emma with Abel trailing behind. There was no way to shield the children from the fact that Adam was hurt, but Katherine had done her best to keep them as far away as possible and distracted as much as she could. Paul told her that it was all right if they wanted to go up to see Adam.

"He's very tired, but he was asking about the children. Just don't let them on the bed."

Abel wanted to run ahead, but Katherine insisted he walk up with them. It would give the others more time to clean up after what they had to do, and she could tell Lea what the doctor had said about the children visiting with Adam. In the room, Adam summoned a smile when he saw his children. He knew there were things he needed to tell his father and brothers, but at the moment, his head hurt terribly, and he just wanted to reassure his children. Ben left, but Adam asked him to come back in a few hours and to bring Hoss and Joe with him. Abel stood at the side of the bed staring at his father's drawn face.

"Abel, I'll be fine. Accidents happen on a ranch. Hoss took good care of me, and they got me home so Paul could do what he had to do. I'll be up and around leading you on your pony in no time." Abel still looked scared and worried. "After Emma gives me a kiss, will you sit on the chair here and keep me company?" Abel shook his head vigorously and quickly climbed into the indicated chair. Lea took Emma and held her so that she and Adam could do a quick kiss.

"Papa, owie?"

"Yes, Emma, Papa got hurt. I'll be fine. Don't eat all the cornbread at dinner because I want some."

Emma smiled at that for it was something Adam often said to her when they were having cornbread for dinner. It was one of Emma's favorite foods, and Adam liked to tease her about it. Reassured that all was normal, she was willing to go with Katherine. Lea leaned down to kiss Adam then.

"Cowboy, you scared me so much again. I wish that would never happen again."

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry. I'll do my best. Now, perhaps you could bring something for us men to drink? I'm very thirsty, and Abel probably wants something too."

Keeping the conversation lighthearted was the best medicine for the children who lost their worried looks with Adam's comments. Lea smiled and nodded before she headed down the stairs where Roy was talking with all of the others as they filled him in on everything they knew. Lea added that Adam probably knew even more but needed some time to recuperate before doing any more. Ben invited Roy to stay for dinner so they could all come back to talk with Adam later. Roy didn't need any more persuasion than that. Dinner was somber as no one wanted to say much of anything with Eliza there. For quite a while, there was only the sound of flatware on china. No one said anything about Adam except to say that Ben and the other men were going back to Adam's house after dinner. Eliza assumed that they were in mourning and that they would be discussing with Lea what was to be done.

Three hours later, all four men were back in the room with Adam discussing what he had been thinking about while trapped in the mine. Additionally, they had the information that Eliza had slipped away only returning a very short time before dinner was served and saying that she had been out riding.

"Joe, is that debris from Molly's accident still at the bottom of that draw?"

"Yes, we didn't see any reason to go get any of it. That carriage was destroyed. Molly is lucky to be alive. Why?"

"If you could, could you go down there and see if any of the parts were deliberately damaged before the accident? Look for anything cut or sawed through instead of damaged in the crash." All the men were surprised at Adam's request and noted that he no longer referred to it as an accident when Molly had been injured. Adam saw their looks and nodded. "Yes, I think Eliza had something to do with it. It was only a few weeks after she arrived here and was immediately infatuated with Joe. After her brother's death and Molly being injured, she had a permanent place on the ranch to use to pursue Joe, and we all know that she did."

"Who do you think fathered her baby?" Roy suspected they all had the same idea on that one too. Several of them said 'Brock' immediately. "I was thinking the exact same thing. If that's the case, there may not be any other kidnappers out there. It might just be Eliza and Brock." Roy's expertise in dealing with criminals was superb. His hypothesis had their attention. All of them thought about that and nodded. It made so much sense that way.

"So, did Brock mean to kill Adam or was he just bad at what he did?"

"Hoss, from all that you have told me, I think that young man was trying to kill Adam. If that's the case, then we know where those orders came from. I never would have thought it, but that little wisp of a girl is dangerous."

"Roy, if that's true, then none of my sons, daughters, and grandchildren are safe with her around."

"Ben, I think that's the case. What you gonna do about it?"

Chapter 7

"Candy and Griff could stay here. The children know them and like them. They're like part of the family. Hoss, Joe, Hop Sing, and I will be in the main house. But, Roy, all we really have is suspicion. How do we prove what she's done?"

Before Roy could answer, Joe had a question. "Are Alice and my children in any danger?"

After a brief discussion, Joe decided to ride into town with Roy. He would make sure that Alice and the children were safe. There were enough people on the Ponderosa to protect the rest of the family, but Alice didn't even know there was a potential threat. They all agreed that Brock didn't seem very bright, and therefore, he was doing Eliza's bidding. If Roy could work something out with him, perhaps he would turn on Eliza and give them the evidence they needed. After the children went to bed, the men in the family would inform Lea, Mo, and Katherine of all that was happening. Hoss went to talk with Candy and Griff who packed up some of their belongings and headed over to Adam's house to take up residence. In the main house, Ben was shocked by a question from Eliza before she went to bed.

"When will Adam's funeral be held, and where are you going to bury him?"

Ben stammered out that the arrangements weren't complete, but that they would inform her when they were. After she went up the stairs to her bedroom, Mo hurried up to watch to make sure she stayed in her room. Katherine looked at Ben.

"She thinks he's dead. Do we need any more proof that she's in on it? She wanted him dead, and she assumes you brought a body home."

Looking at Katherine, and then at Hoss, Ben made a suggestion. "We need to start writing all of these things down. We don't have any one big piece of evidence against her, but we could assemble a mountain of small pieces of evidence. Eventually it will be enough to bury her." With that, Ben went to get paper and pencils for all of them. They wrote down everything that any of them knew that seemed at all incriminating. Then Ben gathered up the papers after they signed them and stashed them all in his middle desk drawer. "If you think of anything else, or if something new happens, write it down and put it in there. We'll hand it all over to Roy after Joe checks out the carriage crash in the morning."

In town, Joe was surprised to hear what Alice and Molly had seen. After making sure that Alice and the children were safely locked in their place, he headed over to Roy's office telling Alice to admit only him. When he told Roy the story and the time frame of it, Roy was convinced that Eliza had given that small pistol to Brock.

"I knew I should had them windows shuttered years ago. Now look and see what happened. I gave my deputy a real dressing down for allowing Brock to hide a pistol on himself when he was locked up so I got to apologize for that. Doggone that girl is good. She knew right away what her weakness was, and she got away with it again."

"Maybe not. Roy, can I see that pistol?" After examining it, Joe smiled and handed it back. "Roy, look at the base of the grip." Taking a close look, Roy could see a tiny LJ carved there. "Eliza hasn't been here long enough to know that I was Little Joe when I was younger. That's the first pistol I used. It's a thirty-one caliber. Adam said if I missed a target, I wouldn't be able to do much damage with that. He was wrong. I shot out a window on the house, hit a lantern on the porch, and brought down the pulley that we used to haul hay into the loft. But what's more important is that pistol was in our house until it ended up here. It was in a box of old pistols in the storage room. We don't use them any more, so we would never likely miss one if it was gone."

"Would Brock have had access to it?"

"No, you have to go through the kitchen and pantry to get to that storeroom. Hop Sing wouldn't let one of the hands go in there."

"All right, then, I want to write down what you said Alice and Molly saw. Then I'll get them to sign the statement. We're building a case, boy, we're building a case."

Leaving Roy's office, Joe went back to see Alice and the children. He played with them, read them a story, and then tucked them into bed. As he left Joey's room, Alice beckoned him to her bedroom. She closed the door and asked Joe to tell her everything that had happened. When he finished, she sat quietly for a time.

"Joe, I'm sorry I didn't believe you. I wanted to, but my anger and my jealousy got in the way. Lea told me that I should stay and talk with you to work it out. I told her that she would leave Adam if he did something like what you were accused of doing. She said no. She said everyone makes mistakes, and she wouldn't throw away all the good things in her life if Adam made a mistake. She said she had made a grievous mistake once, and Adam forgave her. She said she and Adam believed you, and thought Eliza was lying. Joe, I was wrong. I never should have left. Can you forgive me?"

Joe laughed a bit and shook his head. Then his eyes glistened with tears. "My God, Alice, those are words I thought I would never hear. Of course I will. All I ever wanted was to have you and the children home with me. These last months have been awful, but now isn't a good time for you to move back to the ranch. That could really set off Eliza. Adam thinks she did all of this because she's infatuated with me. If that is true, then you and the children could be in danger if you're anywhere near her."

"Joe, maybe we can use that against her."

"How?"

"I don't know yet, but let's think about it. If what she wants is you, and if she wants me out of the way, won't she have to do something if I move back to the ranch?"

"I can't use you like that!"

"No, you won't be. We'll be working together like we should have been all along. Talk to your father and brothers about it. I'm sure we can come up with a plan."

In the morning, Joey and Gabi were delighted to find their father with their mother. The family had breakfast together before Joe said he had to go investigate Molly's carriage crash. He kissed Alice goodbye and hugged the children. Molly was sitting in her wheelchair on the porch of the boarding house sharing a cup of coffee with Doctor Paul Martin.

"So, Adam is going to be all right, and now it looks like Joe and Alice are going to be all right too. How about me? Do you think I'll walk again?"

"I think with a cane in each hand and a friendly doctor nearby, you should try. You're strong enough now, and your reflexes have certainly improved. Would you like to try?"

"I would, but I don't have one cane much less two."

Clementine was soon there with two canes in hand. Molly looked from her to Paul waiting for an explanation. "Adam and Hoss made them when I mentioned that I could use two sturdy ones for my favorite patient. After all, I can't have my bride pushed down the aisle in a wheelchair."

"Oh, Paul, really? I thought at one time that you would ask me, but then I got hurt."

"One has nothing to do with the other. I just wanted you healthy enough to enjoy your wedding day. Will you marry me?"

"Oh, yes, Paul, yes." And Molly stood when Paul stepped in front of her. Suddenly she realized what she had done. "Oh, my."

"It was only your fear that was holding you back. Now take those canes, and we'll walk back and forth across the porch. You need to get ready to walk down that aisle."

On the Ponderosa, Adam was insisting he could walk with a cane too, but Lea was not happy at all with him. "You were told to keep that leg elevated until tomorrow. Just because you feel better now, there's no reason to push your luck. I want to see that leg elevated for the rest of the day."

"Did Paul say I had to stay in bed or just that the leg had to be elevated?"

Caught on that one, Lea had to concede the point. "All right, but Candy and Griff will help you down the stairs. I don't want you falling when the cane isn't enough. Then you will sit with that leg elevated."

Not happy about being helped down the stairs like an invalid, Adam knew he shouldn't push too hard as long as Lea had conceded he could get out of bed. "It's a deal." Later, Adam sat in front of the fireplace with his leg up on pillows stacked on a dining table chair. He had to admit at least to himself that his leg had ached in getting from his bedroom down the stairs to this point. He wouldn't push it any further. Candy and Griff came over to sit with him after they had breakfast.

"Not as good as Hop Sing, but Lea is definitely developing into a good cook. You're a lucky man to have a beauty for a wife, and she can cook too. Strong too. We could hear that, ah, discussion you two had his morning. I wanted to bet on the outcome with Griff, but neither of us wanted to bet against her."

"Very funny. Maybe you could be her escort though when she goes to town. She wants to buy some things for the house, and it's very clear I can't go with her."

Candy agreed to do that. Griff would stay at the house with Adam and his children. Candy stopped at the main house to tell them that he was going to hitch up the carriage to take Lea to town. Eliza was sipping her coffee when Candy mentioned that to Ben. She was surprised that Lea was going to town, and her look must have showed it. Ben decided to try shocking her into saying something more incriminating than she already had.

"How's Adam doing this morning?"

Eliza nearly spit her coffee out on that one. She coughed a bit before regaining her composure. "He's alive. I thought he was dead." Now it all made sense to her. No one in the house had seemed sad, and she had wondered if they had felt about Adam the way she did. Now she knew that it was because he wasn't dead. "How could he survive a mine cave-in?"

Pausing for emphasis and waiting to see if she might say something more, Ben smiled at her. "How did you know it was a mine cave-in? No one mentioned it here last night."

"Someone must have, or maybe I heard one of the hands say something when I was putting my horse away last evening."

"No, the hands were told not to say anything. We didn't want the person who planned this to know Adam had survived. He has a painful leg injury that will keep him off his feet for a time, but when he heals, there should be no permanent damage."

Ben's dark eyes were boring into the young woman. She never flinched, but she also knew better than to say anything more at that point. Candy nodded and walked out the door to hitch up the carriage. Ben told Katherine he was going with Candy and Lea to town. She said that she and Mo and the baby would go over to visit with Lea and Adam. She knew that Ben would worry about them being in the house with Eliza. Hoss and Hop Sing could watch to see what Eliza would do next.

Chapter 8

On the way to town, Ben had Candy stop the carriage at the site of Molly's crash. Joe's pinto was tied there and Ben wanted to know how things had gone in town. He called down to Joe who answered that he would be right up. As Ben waited, he could see that Joe was carrying a heavy sack with him. He asked him how things had gone with Alice.

"Great, Pa, just great. Alice and the children are coming home. We talked and she knows now that Eliza set this whole thing up. Pa, I may never drink whisky again. Just one night on the town turned into so much trouble."

"Well, even though that is an admirable decision in many ways, remember that all you did was have too much to drink. Eliza did everything else. Perhaps if you resolved to stop at one or two that would suffice." Joe nodded and Candy grinned. "What have you got in the sack?"

"Adam was right. I found the axle was nearly sawed through. Only a little bit of it broke in the crash. The two brake blocks were heavily greased. Even after all this time, there were still gobs of grease stuck to each of them. Nobody in their right mind would grease the brake blocks so somebody did it on purpose. I'm guessing there might have been other damage done, but the crash and the weather have really done a lot to what was left of the harness. I asked Molly if she remembered Eliza being at the carriage, and she said she was. She came out to say the children wanted to say goodbye one more time so Molly went back in the house for a bit. I'm guessing that's when she greased the blocks. The axle must have been done earlier."

"Do you want me to turn these over to Roy?"

"I'll ride back in with you. I'll sign a statement for Roy, and he can go get Molly to sign another one too."

"Sign another one too?"

"Oh, that's right. You don't know. Brock is dead. He got a pistol and tried to break out of the jail. Some of our fine citizens shot him down when he fired on one of them."

"What does that have to do with Molly?"

"She and Alice were sitting in the backyard of the boardinghouse and saw Eliza heading in the direction of the jail. A short time later, she came walking back and that's about when there was gunfire at the jail. They said she smiled and went on her merry way. They both signed statements and handed them over to Roy."

"She asked this morning how Adam could have survived a mine cave-in. I was going to tell Roy that too. Now with Alice coming home, I'll tell Roy that she's fired, and we'll give her a ride into town. He can arrest her then."

"Do we have enough for an arrest?"

"I think we have enough for an arrest. I don't know if it's enough to convict her, but she'll be away from my family. If Brock had lived, I think he would have talked. She must have thought that too."

Lea and Candy had been listening. Neither could believe how evil that young woman was. She had tried to kill two people, and had contributed to the death of another. Lea started to have another thought about her possible sinister behavior. "Has anyone ever asked Paul if there was anything suspicious in her brother's death? He died from internal bleeding, but all of you said you were surprised because he hadn't been kicked that hard, and hadn't mentioned any symptoms to anyone until he keeled over and died later that night."

At first prone to doubting that she would have killed her own brother, the three men paused and thought about it. It was possible. They needed to talk to the doctor. "After I go see Roy, I'll see if I can talk to Paul. I'll mention it to Roy too. This is all just so unbelievable, and yet we believe she has done all these things." Ben shook his head and everyone there knew what he meant. Joe mounted up on Cochise, and the others got in the carriage and headed to town. Roy agreed that he had enough to arrest Eliza but had some cautions too.

"A judge is gonna have a hard time seeing a gal like that on trial in her condition. Plus a jury of men is gonna take a look at that face of hers and have a heck of a time thinking she could do anything really bad. But I can tell ya that I could make her leave town. I could tell her she would be put on trial for all these crimes if she ever comes back to Nevada. We done it before with gals for just the same reasons as this time. You decide before you bring her in here tomorrow morning. You kin talk to Adam and Molly and see what they say too."

Ben left Roy's office disappointed for he knew exactly what Roy had meant. Men had so much respect for women in the west that they would be unwilling to believe this story that a very young, pretty woman with child was capable of murder and attempted murder. They needed an eyewitness or evidence of something she had done that was so heinous that the jury wouldn't look at her as a orphaned girl who had been used by some man for his own desires. They needed to see her as a conniving witch who would do anything to get what she wanted. As Ben sat in Paul's office a short time later, Paul added to his growing concern over what Eliza was capable of doing.

"Yes, I was very suspicious of the circumstances of her brother's death. He had a stomach full of blood and yet the blow was to his lower abdomen. I wondered at the time how that could have happened, and I still have no answer for you. I wish I could say she did something, but there is no way to know what it could have been."

"If she could kill her brother in order to get herself insinuated into our lives, then there is no limit as to what she might do. We'll put a guard on her tonight to be sure she doesn't do anything more. Joe wants to bring Alice and the children home, but I'm going to have to tell him to wait until tomorrow after she's gone. It's just to much to try to protect everyone from this devious she-devil."

"Keep her away from all of the children. I suggest that Mo take Dottie and stay in Adam's house until you get Eliza to town. The girl seems to have no feeling for anyone but herself and what she wants. I'm afraid she may be willing to do anything if she thinks no one will catch her and punish her for it. I've seen people like this before but never as intelligent and cunning as this one."

"What's happened to the others like her that you've known?"

Paul hesitated but had to tell the truth. "The gallows, prison, or asylums. We have no idea how to help people like this change. All we can do is keep them away from potential victims."

"What about the baby she's going to have?"

"I'm afraid that to her it's not a baby but an object. She was using it to get what she wanted. Now that she can't use it to get Joe, I don't know what she'll do. How can a moral person predict what an amoral person will do?"

That night on the Ponderosa, Ben informed Eliza that her services were no longer needed and that she would be given a ride into town and one month's pay as severance.

"You can't do that. You can't turn me out when I'm carrying your son's child."

"Eliza, I think we both know that child is not Joe's. Is Brock the father?" The unexpected query stymied Eliza for a bit but enough for Ben and Katherine to think it was the truth. You can pack your things. I'll be driving you to town tomorrow. Hoss will come with us."

"Why Mr. Cartwright, you're not afraid to be alone with me, are you?"

"Frankly, Eliza, yes, I am. Now I've told you what's going to happen. Please pack your things and stay in the downstairs guest room tonight."

Her plan in shambles, Eliza began thinking furiously. "How about three month's salary, and I never bother your family again?"

"Eliza, I don't think there's any amount of money that could get you to keep a promise. One month's salary is more than fair. You can live on that for quite a while if you're careful how you spend it. You can find work somewhere."

"Who would hire me in my condition?"

"Your future is not my responsibility."

"But it is. My brother died working for you. If he had lived, I wouldn't need your charity. It's because of you that I have to do things to look out for myself. No one else will. I'll make sure everyone knows what kind of man you are turning out a woman carrying a baby with no regard for what happens to either of them. You'll see. People will tell you how wrong you were to do this."

"I'm done discussing this with you. Please do as I asked or we'll go pack your things for you."

As Eliza flounced up the stairs as well as she could flounce with her belly swelling, Katherine walked to Ben's side. "I'd feel better if she was out of here tonight. I'm afraid to go to sleep with her around."

"Candy set up a rotation of guards. He'll be on first, Hoss next, then Hank, and I'll take the fourth watch. She won't be able to hurt anyone."

That night, Eliza was in her room except when she said she had to use the necessary. She left through the kitchen and was back in fifteen minutes. Otherwise the night was uneventful. As Katherine came down the stairs in the morning, Ben was sitting at the table drinking coffee.

"Darling, it's almost over. Hoss will be down here soon to go with me to take her to town. When I get back, we can all relax."

A decidedly angry Eliza was driven to town by Ben. He had talked with Adam the night before and with Molly in town. They were upset with Eliza but agreed with Roy's assessment of the situation. Roy took custody of Eliza and offered her a stage ticket to California or accommodations in the jail. She chose the stage ticket.

On the Ponderosa, Hop Sing cleaned out the room that Eliza had been using. In a corner of the closet, he noticed what appeared to be a loose board in the floor. He pulled it up planning to tell Hoss that it needed to be repaired. Under the board though was a brown bottle. He couldn't read the writing that appeared to be in a language other than English: Sanguinaria Canadensis. He brought the bottle to Katherine who was equally mystified. She brought it to Ben who said he had no idea what it was either but would take it to Paul the next time he was in town.

Chapter 9

"Blood root. It's used in many patent medicines and actually does some good in small amounts, but a pure concoction like this if taken internally could cause severe bleeding. On the skin, it could cause blisters or even eat the skin away. This was never meant to be in the hands of an unskilled person." Paul stared at the small bottle for a short time before looking up with a horrified expression. "This is how she killed her brother. She gave him some of this to drink. It explains the blisters I found on his lips. I wondered at the time what he had been drinking that was so hot it had given him a couple of blisters, but now I know it wasn't something hot. It was this. It's caustic in this formulation."

"Where could she have gotten this?"

"Oh, any pharmacy can sell it. Usually they sell to patent medicine outfits who mix very small amounts of this with liberal amounts of alcohol and sugar and sometimes some opium to make a medicine that makes the person feel good but usually doesn't cure much of anything. They will have some items like this in it so that it seems like a real medicine even though it isn't. Many of these herbal products can do some good though. I learned from Hop Sing to use garlic oil for an ear infection. Lemon oil will help stop a nosebleed. Even blood root in small doses can help a sore throat, help with some headaches, and help remove warts and other growths on your skin. In larger doses, it's damaging and even deadly."

Sipping his coffee, Ben tried to assimilate all the shocking information he had gotten that morning. It was likely that Eliza had murdered her brother as a means to get the Cartwrights to feel responsible for her and take her in like a member of the family. They suspected she had tried to kill Molly, they knew she had tried to kill Adam, and Roy had given Ben another amazing bit of news that morning.

"Well, Ben, I'm thinking that little gal was never with child. When she got on that stage, she was wearing a pretty little riding dress all cinched up tight as could be in the waist. That surely made me wonder what in tarnation was going on. Then Tim come over here later with a funny looking pillow he said he found in the room she used until she could get on the stage this morning. I asked him to keep an eye on her and tell me if she did anything unusual. It looks like she used that pillow to make it look like her belly was swelling with a baby. It wasn't soft like most pillows. It was stuffed with sawdust and sand."

"Roy, we may have let a cold-blooded criminal get away. All I can do right now is thank God she wasn't successful in her plans. There's just no telling what that little witch will do."

Thinking back on that conversation with Roy, Ben thought that they had done the wrong thing. Sympathy for the baby they thought Eliza was carrying and worried that a jury would never convict a woman carrying a child especially as they only had circumstantial evidence. He knew too that most of what they had wasn't the smoking gun type of evidence that a jury would willingly accept. Even with that in mind though, he thought they should have listened to Alice and worked out a trap for Eliza. Adam and Lea had also been worried about letting Eliza go with no consequences but Ben's arguments had swayed them. He and Katherine had wanted Eliza away from their family as quickly as possible. They let that affect their judgment. He cringed a bit knowing how his family would react when they learned about all these new allegations. Before leaving town, Ben went to Roy's office to inform him of the new information that Ben had gotten from Paul.

"Ben, I'm gonna wire the sheriff in Placerville. I want him to tell me what she's up to when she gets there. If I find out anything, I'll surely let you know first thing."

"Thank you, Roy. I just hope this is over for us. I hope there aren't any more surprises coming our way compliments of that woman. I would like to enjoy some pleasant time with my family, and I'm sure Adam would enjoy some peace and quiet with his family. Oh, and Alice and the children are back home so Joe is happier than he's been in months. It's all getting back to normal."

As expected, the family was dismayed by the news that Eliza had probably murdered her brother as a means to gain a place with the Cartwrights. She was correct in assuming that they would feel guilty and want to help her as much as possible. The family felt even worse knowing that it was that decision that probably led Eliza to try to eliminate Molly so that she could have a more permanent place in the family. It was just so very difficult to associate all of these heinous acts with the petite and pretty young woman. Yet it was true, and every one of them knew it.

Several days later, Ben went to town to do some business with the bank and the lawyer. Usually Adam did these things but he was still unable to ride and even a carriage would have been uncomfortable. Roy intercepted him before he finished his errands.

"Ben, I hate to tell ya this, but I guess we shoulda guessed it anyways. With a gal like that, she just goes and does the darndest things."

"Roy, just spit it out. Something to do with Eliza?"

"Yep, Ben, I got word from Placerville that she never did get there. I been sending out all sorts of messages to try to find out what happened. Seems she left the stage line at a station near Pleasant Valley in the Washoe. She bought a horse by cashing in the rest of her ticket. I been trying to find her whereabouts since then, but there's been nary a word about her. Ben, I'm worried. Why would that gal leave the stage line in the middle of those mountains? She's up to no good. I'm sure of it."

Upset by the news, Ben finished his errands as quickly as he could and then headed home. When Ben got back to the ranch, the house was empty, but then he remembered that the whole family was planning to be at Hoss' doing the last of the finishing work and decorating so that Hoss could move Mo and his daughter in there before the new babies were born in less than a month. The new house was only about a hundred yards from the main house and symbolically situated between Adam's house and Joe's. He walked in that direction and heard laughter and conversation as he got closer and relaxed knowing that all was well. Inside, Ben found Candy and Griff helping Joe and Hoss install the mantel for the fireplace. Hoss had done carvings of animals in it, and Adam had helped him buff it until the wood was shining. The four men were doing the heavy lifting as Adam leaned on a cane and directed the placement. Once he was satisfied it was in the correct position, the men finished attaching it to the stone balusters that were there to support it.

The design for the house had been completed during the winter, but bad weather, Eliza, and other work that had to be done had delayed the conclusion of the construction. Hoss walked away from the fireplace to stand next to his father and his brother admiring the work that had been done. Hoss' home had no plastered walls as the other homes did. All of the walls were log with the outside wall about sixteen inches wide and built with massive pine logs. Interior walls were smaller logs about six inches wide. All of the doorframes and window frames were of hard maple that Adam had ordered from Wisconsin. The floors were white pine boards stained a deep brown. The ladies were positioning rugs in every room and putting up curtains. The plan was to move all of their personal possessions into the house the following morning if everything else was in place.

"Son, you have a beautiful home here. It fits you perfectly. You're going to love living here. Tomorrow morning is going to be an exciting time for the family."

"Uh, Pa, Mo and me got nearly everything of ours packed, and I was wondering . . . " Hoss never got to finish his statement as Adam and Joe began laughing and Ben had to chuckle.

"Son, Hank is probably driving the wagon over here as I speak. Adam told the hands to pack up all your things as soon as you left the main house this morning. Hop Sing should be here soon with a banquet fit for a king. It was going to be your housewarming surprise. We knew you wouldn't want to wait."

The front door opened at that point and the hands began carrying in all of the personal belongings as well as a few surprises. There was a double cradle, a second crib, and lots of baby clothing. Hearing all of the noise and voices, Mo came out of the kitchen where the ladies had been hanging curtains. She began to cry when she saw what the men carried in. Soon all the children came out of the kitchen too and began to ask why there was another cradle and why it had two parts. Hoss went down on one knee with all the children around him as he explained that he and Mo were going to have twins very soon.

"Why don't you just get them now?" Abel couldn't understand why there was any delay.

"They're in Aunt Mo's belly, that's why. They gotta come out of there." Joey was always fascinated with anything medical and the more amazing it was, the better. This one definitely fit in that category.

"I know that. I'm just wondering why they don't just come out now. They must be big enough. Aunt Mo has been getting really fat."

Lea and Adam cringed at their son's statement, but Mo only smiled. She sat on a chair and called the two boys over. She took their hands and held them on her belly.

"Can you feel that?"

"Yes. It feels like your belly is moving, Aunt Mo."

"Abel, those are the twins moving. They do want to come out, and I'm so glad that the cradle is here already and all of our bedding and such, because I think those babies want to do exactly what you want them to do. They want to see their new home."

Everyone smiled at that except Hoss who suddenly looked rather pale. Adam quickly stood from the chair where he had been sitting and guided his big brother onto it. "Just relax, big guy. You know what you told me when Lea was having Emma. Mo had Dottie and everything was fine. Alice had Joey and Gabi and everything was fine. Lea had Abel and everything was fine. Mo's going to be fine."

"You know, when I said that to you, I thought I was helping. I got to say I'm sorry cause now I know that didn't help at all. Is someone going to go get the doctor?"

"Griff is already gone. Joe sent him as soon as Mo said it was time."

Within minute, Katherine, Lea, and Alice had gotten Mo into a bedroom. Katherine helped her into a gown as the other ladies quickly made up the bed and put ample padding where Mo would lie. While they were busy, Mo's water broke. Things were moving along rather quickly so Lea went to tell Hop Sing they were going to need those supplies soon. He was already boiling water and had string, scissors, and stacks of towels. Joe was sent to the main house to get another set of clean sheets. Alice came down the stairs then and said she would take the children to her house. Lea planned to go there soon to help so Adam took his cane and walked there as well.

Ben did his best to calm Hoss who was scared. It was a month early, and Hoss had thought he was going to have more time to get ready for the arrival of the twins. Doctor Martin had told Mo that she was likely to deliver early, but she hadn't wanted to worry Hoss especially with everything else that was going on because of Eliza and then Adam's brush with death. Paul had also told Mo that even though twins tended to come early creating more worry in the family, they also tended to come fast which meant they didn't have to worry as long as they did with a single delivery. It wasn't long before Hoss heard a baby crying, and then just fifteen minutes later, there was a second baby crying. He took a big breath and then tears flowed freely. Ben put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. Hoss nodded. His father always seemed to know just the right way to comfort one of his sons.

"I'm going over to Joe's house to get Dot. I want her to come with me when I go upstairs to see the babies."

Chapter 10

"Now, isn't that special. I get the third brother too. Come on in, big man, or I can shoot your older brother to convince you I'm serious."

Hoss stepped into Joe's house as his smile disappeared to be replaced by worry. Eliza was there with a pistol pointing at Adam and Joe. Adam turned his eyes to the stairs to let Hoss know that the ladies were upstairs with the children. Hoss vowed to himself that Eliza was not going up those stairs. She wouldn't be able to stop all three of them so if she headed in that direction, he was going to have to try to stop her. Hoss was surprised at how calm his brothers looked though. Joe mainly looked angry, and Adam looked downright relaxed as he sat in a chair with one hand resting on his cane. Hoss had no idea why they were so calm, but hoped that meant that they had a plan. He watched Adam carefully for any sign of what they might want him to do. Adam addressed Eliza then without any sign to Hoss leaving him confused as to what was going on.

"What do you hope to gain from this? You got away with murder and were out of the state if you chose to go. Why come back here and risk hanging?"

"Satisfaction. All of you think you're so smart, and I wanted to show you just how wrong you were. You thought you could just get rid of me so easily. I'm here to show you that's not the case. Besides, you're not dead so how could it be murder. I won't hang for you getting a sore leg."

"You will hang for the death of your brother. People take a dim view of family members murdering each other."

That halted Eliza's comments. She had a surprised look on her face but recovered quickly. "You're just fishing for information now. My brother died because he was working for you. You all owe me for that, and you haven't paid that debt yet."

"Oh, I think we took care of that well above and beyond what we should have done. Blood root was such an obvious way to do it. The doctor figured it out."

That shook Eliza more than anything Adam had said to that point. Hoss didn't know why he seemed to be purposefully trying to upset her, but it was clear that he was. Eliza screamed then.

"Shut up. Shut up or I'll shut you up." She raised the pistol and aimed it at Adam's head. He didn't even flinch until he heard his wife call out from the top of the stairs.

"Don't shoot him, or I'll shoot you."

Adam tried to calm the situation then. "Lea, back away. I'm not going to get hurt. Please? Go back with the children." Lea glanced at Adam wondering as Hoss did how he could be so calm and self-assured under the circumstances. Eliza used the distraction to her advantage or so she thought. She fired. The next few minutes were a whirlwind of activity as Hoss rushed over to try to stem the bleeding. Joe peeled off his belt to use as a tourniquet, but it was the wound to the neck that was deadly. It was all over in just a few minutes. Standing with bloody hands and bloodstained clothing, Hoss and Joe stared at Adam.

"I never thought it would be this awful." Joe was ready to retch. Lea had rushed back to make sure the children didn't see the awful sight. Hoss almost ran to the kitchen to come back with a stack of towels. Joe pulled a blanket from the chair by the fire and covered the body as Hoss began to scrub up the blood.

"She did it to herself. We suspected she might end up dead with her nature, but she died by her own hand."

The door burst open then and Ben rushed in stopping almost immediately with the blanket-covered body on the floor and his three sons looking upset. "What happened here?"

Joe answered first. "It's Eliza. She went to shoot Adam, and the gun exploded in her hand. A piece of it tore into her upper arm and another piece into her neck. We stopped the bleeding in her arm, but we couldn't do anything about the neck wound. Blood was pouring out of her neck and her mouth."

"I'm very glad she wasn't able to shoot any of you, but why would the gun explode like that?"

Hoss answered understanding why Adam had been so calm. He had recognized the gun in her hand. "After she stole that gun from the storeroom, Adam suggested we might want to plug those old guns so nobody else could take one and use it, and it would be safer with all the children around. So Hop Sing and me melted some lead and put a plug in each barrel. She musta stole one of em after we done that. When she fired, it blew back and ignited the other shells in the chambers. The whole thing just blew up. We're darn lucky it all blew back and sideways."

"Adam, did you know it would do that?"

"No. I thought it would split the barrel. I had no idea it would ignite the other shells. I'm not going to feel badly about it though because she came here to commit mayhem. It's just her bad luck that she committed it on herself."

"Pa, she thought she had trapped us here, but she was the one who was in the trap. Dadburned gal didn't even know what a mess she had made of everything. When she tried to kill Adam, she killed herself."

Staring at the body on the floor, Ben shook his head. It was finally over, but the price had been very high with two dead and two seriously injured. "And all because one young woman was infatuated with a married man." Pausing, Ben began to look to the future instead of the past. "Well, Hoss needs to get back to his wife and babies, and Adam, why don't you escort the ladies with the children over to your house. I can help Joe clean up this mess. You two need to wash the blood off your hands and change clothes first though. While you go take care of those things, Adam and I will go upstairs to help get the children out of here so that they don't see what happened. Hoss, I'll bring Dottie to your house."

Within an hour, it was as if Eliza hadn't been there. A hand led a horse carrying her body to Virginia City. Adam had written up a summary of what had happened and sent it along. Joe and Ben cleaned up the bloodstains in Joe's house before joining the celebration at Hoss' house. That night, there was a lantern lit and burning by the front door of each of the three houses built by Ben's sons. The family had decided at dinner that the new signal that all was well at night would be a lantern burning in front of the house. If anyone needed to visit one of the other homes, it made navigating the spaces between them easier too. In one house, Joe relaxed around the fireplace with Alice and their children Joey and Gabi as the family healed the rift and talked about all the things that had happened while they were separated. In Adam's house, he sat in his favorite leather chair with his leg up on a pillow on a dining table chair telling stories of knights and fair ladies to his children as Lea relaxed and listened to his voice which always soothed away any sadness she might have. Hoss spent a lot of time watching Mo nurse their two babies, Karl and Margaret, as well as trying to explain to Dottie why there were two new babies in their house. Before turning in, Ben looked out his bedroom window and could see all three lanterns burning brightly.


End file.
